Page 43 of Marrying a Prince

She studied him and then sighed. "Well, I guess it would be irresponsible for me not to go with you. I can't have you gallivanting around the countryside without a chaperone. Who knows what kind of shenanigans you are going to get yourself into."

He laughed. "You know me."

She'd pulled out her suitcase from the closet and shot him a look. After packing her bag, she pulled it off her bed and straightened. "All right, let's do this."

Leo opened her door and glanced out. The sight of Filippo rounding the corner caused him to jump back. Thankfully, Filippo seemed too preoccupied with his phone to notice and entered his room without looking back.

With the coast now clear, Leo nodded toward the hallway. "Come on," he said.

Marianna nodded and followed after him as he led her to his room. When they were safely inside, Leo walked over to his balcony and dropped his suitcase into the bushes below.

Marianna appeared next to him, peering over his railing. "Um, you never said anything about needing to climb down."

He shot her a pleading look. "It's not that far down, and besides it'll be an adventure."

She glanced at him and then back to the ground. She sighed and nodded. Once he threw her suitcase into the bushes, he slipped his leg over the balustrade and scaled the brick until he was far enough from the ground that he could jump down the rest of the way.

Turning toward the balcony, he whispered, "Your turn."

Marianna peeked down at him. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she studied the wall. There was a moment there when Leo thought she might not come. That he was going to be left to leave on his own. But then her leg came into view, and she started to hesitantly climb down.

He stood underneath her just in case. Halfway down, she slipped, and Leo reached out his arms to catch her. But she steadied herself before she fell.

"You okay?" he whispered.

She nodded. He could see her squeeze her eyes shut. "I think so."

"Slow and steady," he said, hoping to encourage her.

Her shoulders shifted as she took a deep breath and continued. Once she was a few feet away, he reached out. "I'll catch you," he said.

She glanced down at him. "Are you sure?"

He smiled. "Of course I'm sure. You are my fiancée after all. I can't let anything happen to you."

Her gaze met his and held. There was something in it. Something she wasn't telling him. Did he want to know?

"Okay, but don't drop me," she said.

He snorted, grateful that she was distracting him from his thoughts. He was ready to get out of here, and dissecting her intentions was the last thing he should be doing.

"Trust me," he said.

After a five-second countdown, Marianna let go of the wall and dropped. Leo braced himself for her weight as she fell into his arms. He staggered back, absorbing the impact of her fall. Then he righted himself and grinned down at her.

"Was that so bad?" he asked.

Her eyes were wide. It looked as if she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about any of this. But then she shook her head. "No. Not as terrifying as it seemed when I was up there."

He set her gently onto her feet and released her. He was grateful to get some distance between them. She was intoxicating and confusing. And right now, he needed to focus.

He rubbed his hands together as he walked over to the bushes and retrieved their luggage. The walk to his car was quiet. It seemed as if she sensed his urgency and kept pace with him. Once everything was in the trunk, they slipped into the car, and Leo started the engine.

It wasn't until they were on the main highway that Marianna let out her breath and glanced over at him. Her eyes were wide as she studied him. Did he want to know what she was thinking?

Curiosity won out. "You know, you can always ask me whatever you’re trying so hard not to ask." He winked, hoping it would help lighten the mood.

She parted her lips and then closed them. The question must be intense if it was this hard for her to ask.

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